Where the hell is Kenenisa Bekele? He’s been gone for more then a year now I believe. Will he be back to defend his Title at worlds?
Where the hell is Kenenisa Bekele? He’s been gone for more then a year now I believe. Will he be back to defend his Title at worlds?
Very hard to be back to your old form after such a long setback. He will be beaten this year (if he's back?)
In a interview on the BBC a few weeks ago he said he feels this will be the last year he feels he will be able to break his 5k or 10k records. If he is not back to old form this year then he will probably never get back to that form. Either way he will still be a damn fine runner kicking Americans asses in every race.
speedster10k wrote:
Where the hell is Kenenisa Bekele? He’s been gone for more then a year now I believe. Will he be back to defend his Title at worlds?
I had been thinking about this lately, and like most, I think if he doesn't come back this summer, then his time as the top track guy is over. I've never been convinced that he will even try to make the switch to roads, let alone have the success that Geb has had.
I was going to start a thread on this myself.
As far as I can tell, the last race that he's run was the 5000 final at the 2009 World Championship.
What is/was his injury? Achilles tendon?
His 5000 record is now almost 7 years old, and the 10,000 record is in its 6th year of existence, the longest span that the 10k record has not been broken since the WWII era.
As someone else pointed out, Bekele's top performance in the 5000 progressively got slower in each successive year after his peak in 2004.
He's an amazing guy to watch, and I've the chance to watch him race 2 times, at the 2001 Brussels Van Damme meet, and the 2006 World Cross in Japan.
Jason
He is done. Achilles that led to other in-balances in other parts of his legs.
He just cannot get back to even 60 % without something else going wrong.
We have seen his best on the track.
How does an athlete who, as far as I know, has never sustained a major injury in his career suddenly disappear for a year and a half?
I've heard from a very connected and reliable coach that Bekele tested positive in 2009, but instead of outing the arguably greatest distance runner in history, the WADA decided to have Bekele lay low for two years.
Now, before I heard this, I was the most naive person when it came to doping. If he is not back for Worlds, however, no matter the excuse, I'll be 100% convinced that he's, as Letsrun so lightly puts it, "doped to the gills."
Supposedly this is actually far from the first time the WADA has covered up positive tests. I guess it's easier as a fan to assume innocence until proven guilty.
thats a pretty contentious statement
If you're going to post something like this and tarnish someone's reputation, have the guts to do the following:
(1) use your own name or e-mail address;
(2) state the name of the coach you heard it from;
(3) state why the coach is reliable (e.g., his connection to Bekele).
Either don't make accusations or have the guts to do the above.
Some Kid wrote:
How does an athlete who, as far as I know, has never sustained a major injury in his career suddenly disappear for a year and a half?
I've heard from a very connected and reliable coach that Bekele tested positive in 2009, but instead of outing the arguably greatest distance runner in history, the WADA decided to have Bekele lay low for two years.
Now, before I heard this, I was the most naive person when it came to doping. If he is not back for Worlds, however, no matter the excuse, I'll be 100% convinced that he's, as Letsrun so lightly puts it, "doped to the gills."
Supposedly this is actually far from the first time the WADA has covered up positive tests. I guess it's easier as a fan to assume innocence until proven guilty.
That's a very serious accusation. Got any hardcore evidence? Because what you're doing is pure slander....You Prick.
MAYEROFF wrote:
His 5000 record is now almost 7 years old, and the 10,000 record is in its 6th year of existence, the longest span that the 10k record has not been broken since the WWII era.
In addition to Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie and Henry Rono both held the 10,000m record for (just) over six years each. Furthermore, Ron Clarke held it for seven years, two months, and three weeks - so 26:17.53 will need to stand at least through the 2011 season for Bekele to be the longest-standing record-holder.
MAYEROFF wrote:
His 5000 record is now almost 7 years old, and the 10,000 record is in its 6th year of existence, the longest span that the 10k record has not been broken since the WWII era.
In addition to Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie and Henry Rono both held the 10,000m record for (just) over six years each. Furthermore, Ron Clarke held it for seven years, two months, and three weeks - so 26:17.53 will need to stand at least through the 2011 season for Bekele to be the longest-standing record-holder.
At this point, who could potentially break his 10k record?
Sorry I posted twice.
Another inaccuracy to clear up: Bekele's 5000m gold at the 2009 world championships was not his last race. He had to lock up his Golden League title by winning the 5000m in Zurich (12:52, in the race that Ritz ran 12:56) and then in Brussels (12:55, with Tegenkamp in 12:58). He then won the WAF 3000m in a slow time to close out his track season. His next race - and his last, so far, that I'm aware of - was Edinburgh XC in January 2010, where he finished fourth.
asdfjkl wrote:
At this point, who could potentially break his 10k record?
I don't think it's at all likely. But to play devil's advocate - if Solinsky can run 26:59 in his first-ever 10,000m, what might Isiah Koech be capable of?
yeah i think the 10k record is gonna progress a lot slower than it has up until now, 5k record too. once Haile came along he pushed the records so far down that they are just so unattainable now, and then the second coming of Haile just happened onto the scene a decade after Haile came along. basically no one runs under 12:48 in the 5k. and in the 10k, yeah some people have run around 26:30, but thats still pretty far off 26:17, and now it seems that big time 10k races are going away. also could be that some of the best long distance runners are just going straight to the marathon cuz they can make more money that way instead of focusing on the 10k in their early-mid 20's before moving to the roads. i hope bekele is back this year and sticks around till london and then moves to the road like Haile.
Some Kid wrote:
an athlete who, as far as I know, has never sustained a major injury in his career
You don't know very far. If you'd gone no further than Bekele's IAAF profile you would have read this: "He missed a great part of the 2002 track season through an Achilles injury."
Bekele's 5000m SB trajectory (13:13 in 2001, 13:26 in 2002, 12:52 in 2003) has often been cited as "suspicious," with clear drug implications, by people equally ignorant of his serious injury in 2002.
Joker wrote:
He is done. Achilles that led to other in-balances in other parts of his legs.
He just cannot get back to even 60 % without something else going wrong.
We have seen his best on the track.
How can you say this? Webb hasn't been the same since 2007 and people haven't given up on him yet. Matter of fact, they think its pretty much a given that he'll return back to his hold form which is debatable (cant disagree with them). However its incorrect to say bekele's career on the track is done especially since he has proven time after time that he can come back from injuries SUCCESFULLY unlike Webb. Remember early 2009 when people were saying he's done? He pretty much went undefeated the whole outdoor season when it was all said and done.
wait a minute wrote:
Remember early 2009 when people were saying he's done?
No, I guess I don't. Who was saying this? In early 2009 Bekele's double Olympic golds were barely half a year old. You have to admit he's in a different position now - he hasn't raced on a track for 18 months.
Honestly there is very little chance he will bust out a new WR (unless he has been doing some sick training on the DL recently). Unless he is "seriously" injured (which nobody on LR has legitimate information) he will undoubtedly be competitive in any race he runs. It is still early 2011, a lot of good runners haven't really raced much so far this year.
AKA This thread would make much more sense in 2 months or so.